Traditional scissor lifts are defined by a scissor assembly driven by a motor or the like that is placed on the ground or the base of the lift. The motor is typically connected to the scissor assembly by a piston and cylinder, whereby the motor activates the piston and cylinder against the scissor assembly to force the scissor assembly from a collapsed position into an extended position. This configuration traditionally requires a large amount of power or force, or an oversized motor, to initiate movement of the scissor assembly because of the poor mechanical advantage of a scissor assembly when started from a completely collapsed condition. Thus, the power required to operate a scissor lift from a fully collapsed condition to a fully extended condition is inconsistent, with more power needed at the beginning and less power needed toward the end of the extension. Moreover, because of the large power requirements at the beginning, the motor tends to be oversized and bulky. In addition, traditional scissor lifts tend to have an extended profile due to the configuration of the scissor arm assemblies, which results in an unnecessary allocation of vertical space.